Simon used to take part in motocross,
Before his bike stalled once mid-air,
When he was training on his farm land,
Which left him paralysed waist down.
He was born in 1982 on the 7th June,
And having fought back from that day,
In 2001 when he did dance with death,
He now races the Marathon T52/53/54.
He most often competes alongside Weir,
But worries about safety combinations,
Because safety issues can concern him,
And the Zika virus was a scare, quite big.
He lives in Maryport but trains in Carlisle,
At the Sheepmount Stadium to neatly chat,
With olympians Tom Farrell and Nick Miller,
Who he knows to be top athletes, class.
Dr Ian Thompson, Tanni Grey’s hubby,
Who trained this fantastic legendary idol,
Also trains Simon by propelling, pushing,
Him to muscle on further and further.
In 2015 he did brave to firmly complete,
The Great North Run, the half marathon,
When he won the silver in the T53 class,
And he works as a car mechanic by day.
Watching the Olympics,
Streaming live or on TV,
Is quite thrilling and amazing,
All that it’s supposed to be.
The stories and performances
Are poignant and exciting;
The ceremonies and the medals
Psyching and uniting.
Despite the talk of Zika
And the crime on Rio’s streets,
The competition’s given us
Some television treats.
So play on, all you athletes;
We’re in awe of what you do
And are grateful that what you achieve
Is there for us to view.
The list of destinations
Seems to shrink 'most every day
For when planning a vacation,
Fear should not come into play.
From the Zika scare in Rio
To most islands with a beach,
Sounds like tropical escapes
To many will be out of reach.
ISIS is another story,
Bombing airports and cafes.
Who needs travel filled with worry?
Extra caution always pays.
Now another horror's happened
With an awful truck attack.
Some vacationers in Nice
Will, sadly, not be coming back.
Though of course it could be anywhere
That people choose to roam,
All these stories will make many
Spend vacations safe at home.
Zika
how can it possibly not freak her
just a little bite
compels the thinking, waiting horrors of each night.